Revenge
by Daze G
Summary: ABANDONED. Zuko is making him want to have his revenge. SoZu. Takes place immediatly after The Siege of the North.
1. A Savior

I have grown quite fond of SoZu now and wanted to add to the pairing. Aww.  
Avatar is © Mike and Bryan, though really Nick/Viacom.

* * *

"I blame the empty-headed one." 

Sokka moaned and dropped his head as a reply. His comments weren't nearly as witty as the prince's. He was beaten; he hated second place. He hated losing and that's what was happening to him.

"Will you two just stop? We'll be landing soon," Katara promised, taking her role as motherly figure.

* * *

The make-shift raft hadn't lasted very long. Aang had saved the prince once, so why not again? Aang was naturally drawn to helping people, as it was his duty in life. Sokka didn't understand nor did he have a mold to form to as his companions did.

Iroh seemed appreciative of the help and had come to terms with their truce in the war. Now neither he nor his nephew would be welcomed in the fire nation after they had attacked the Commander. He'd apparently done a lot of thinking and welcomed this situation. Zuko only considered it a stalemate and was cautious. Besides, Iroh thought flying looked fun.

Iroh looked at life as one large adventure and took everything in stride. His nephew lived in the moment, seemingly fearless.

"You owe us twice now," Sokka mumbled as the two climbed onto Appa.

"What was that peasant?" Zuko glared in contempt.

Sokka waved it off steadily, grinning to himself. "Just that Aang has saved your sorry ass twice so you owe us two times over."

Zuko leaped at him with a fisted hand, hitting Sokka square in the jaw. Sokka yelped in pain and latched onto his own chin.

"I think you broke something!" He slurred.

The two adults separated the children.

"Prince Zuko, we are guests here," Iroh scolded.

Katara scowled at her brother and dragged him behind her, away from the prince. She studied Sokka's face and declared him undamaged. Sokka wanted revenge, but he'd learned from his first mistake; do not talk back. He kept his mouth shoot. It hurt to talk anyway.

Zuko shook his reddened fist, visibly more damaged than his opponent. He was still angry, still wanted something to take his rage out on. He'd selected a new target for his emotions, considering the other two weren't available anymore.

"We're taking off now," Aang smiled at the group shyly.

Iroh smiled in return and rubbed his hands together hungrily. He sent a look of concern in the prince's direction, but predicted a temporary peace.

"Yip Yip!" Aang cried as the giant beast took off, lifting into the air faster than any ship could float. Iroh laughed and the peace-keepers couldn't help but grin. Zuko's stomach lurched. This was new; this was a change from the ordinary. He hated it. He feared it.


	2. A Rival

Ahh, next chapter. Still © to Mike and Bryan.

Thanks for the reviews. :D Sorry for not updating sooner, but I was very busy with the dreaded FINALS. (My first is actually tomorrow, yikes!) Urg. I missed this site. Huuhah. (I hunger for slash too xD) This chapter should be longer, though not any more exciting. I hope it'll get better!

* * *

The ocean was peaceful, blue, tranquil, never-ending. Zuko was not. He was gliding through the clouds, the white innocence choking him. He placed a rough hand on his stomach, frowning and squinting. He missed staring into the comforting ocean. This feeling was not relaxing. It was agony.

Sokka paid no thought to flying; it was routine. Boring. He crossed his arms, trying to forget the pain in his jaw. He stuck out his bottom lip as far as he could, pouting. He was ignored. His sister was smiling at Aang, who was smiling at the old man, who was smiling at nothing. The ass was scowling. Sokka wondered if the jerk ever made any other facial expressions.

He glanced up at Zuko, who caught his eye. Sokka fumbled over what to do, trying not to look hurt. Zuko looked back at his feet, far too concerned over his current situation than the unpleasant company. Sokka clicked his tongue against his tooth, wondering if a chip was missing out of it.

The trip was drawn out far too long. The three content travelers were at peace with their surroundings. Iroh had found another pleasure in life. Aang and Katara giggled occasionally at the fire bender's comments.

"Prince Zuko, isn't this thrilling?" He laughed.

The prince never spoke, only grunted and regretted climbing onto the giant flying monster with three fools.

Aang felt a need to show off in front of his new friends, steering Appa in a crooked path. Iroh let out an exaggerated chortle and put his arms out to his sides, dreaming that he had his own set of wings. Aang grinned and followed suit. Katara joined in the fun as well. The teenaged boys were left out, still only idolizing themselves.

Katara hit her brother's arm, getting a "Hey!" out of him.

"Don't be so e-go-cen-tric," she hissed.

Her brother gawked at her. "What do you mean by that?" He attempted in a whisper.

"He must not have hit you very hard. You're talking perfectly fine," she critiqued.

Sokka looked around suspiciously. "Yes he did…"

"Play nicely," Katara warned as her brother was hit by a surprisingly wet cloud that sent him face down near Zuko's feet. Now he knew that he'd chipped a tooth.

The warrior gazed up at the fire bender. His clothes were charred and torn in several places. His face was dirty and his whole spirit looked tired.

"What now fool? You want a rematch?" The prince sneered.

_Deep breaths…_ "No."

Zuko grunted and smoke rose from his cracked lips.

Neither knew what to say to make the other one provoked into a fit of rage, which seemed to be a new passion they'd both acquired that day. Sokka quickly sat up and cleared his throat.

"It's nice up here," He remarked quickly, noticing that his sister was keeping a close eye on his behavior. It was a harmless sentence and Sokka hoped it would please his sister enough so that she would turn around and he could punch Zuko's teeth into his throat.

Zuko ignored the moron and looked at his uncle for help. Iroh was still gazing into the distance. He was gone and Zuko was on his own now. He scowled and continued maintaining his interest in his feet, sure that he'd be save that way.

Sokka licked his gums and swore he tasted blood. He clenched his teeth together as Katara smiled and nodded at him.

"It's like no one else is alive, being up here. It's almost eerie, yet relaxing. The sky just goes on forever. Like a maze…"

Zuko put his sweaty hand over the water tribe boy's slimy lips. It felt disgusting, like nothing else, as if his senseless dribble formed on his lips and stayed there in the form of liquid.

Pink crawled onto Sokka's face as Zuko leaned in close to his ear. His breath was warm yet Sokka shivered.

"You," Zuko whispered with a violent tone, "you are the worst company I've ever had the displeasure of being forced to listen to. You never shut up," Zuko told the younger man, staring him down. He pulled back his soaked hand and pushed Sokka away in one swift motion. He wiped his hand through Appa's tangled fur in repulsion.

The air was thick as Sokka tackled Zuko abruptly, letting out a war cry. Sokka's embarrassment had turned into anger and he couldn't contain himself, even knowing what his sister would do to him if he touched his royal pain-in-the-ass. Appa grew bewildered and confused as Aang tried to calm him down. Iroh and Katara yelled their relatives' names in disappointment and irritation. Sokka and Zuko rolled dangerously close to the edge, hitting supplies, before Zuko crawled off of Sokka. This was a deadlock.

Aang peered around. "Uhh, guys? That was a tent."

"I blame the empty-headed one," the prince huffed.

Sokka hung his head, straining his neck. He hurt all over and prayed for the nightmare to end.


	3. A Play Thing

Hello again! Ahh, six reviews. XD Sweet. Hopefully this chapter will actually have some action in it, even if I think this chapter is way crappier than the first two…Though now we'll have expansion on some of the other characters! Namely Aang and Iroh. : ) (I always imagined that they'd get along very well, sharing philosophies and embarrassing stories about Zuko and Sokka, haha.)

Avatar is © Mike and Bryan.

* * *

The earth, despite being from the Fire nation, was all that Zuko longed for. When the giant flying _thing_ came close enough to the land, Zuko jumped off. Any longer in the air and he would've killed the fool. 

"Pft, show off," Sokka told Momo. He waited for Appa to descend the remaining ten feet, like a normal person, before he dismounted with his comrades. He was glad to be on a beach instead of in the air, despite Katara's eventual punishment.

"Here Sokka, you carry the remaining tent!" Katara screamed, throwing the wrapped bundle at her brother, who fell over in the process.

Sokka stood up clumsily, clutching the tent to his body. "What about him?" He whined, gesturing at the prince with a tilt of his head.

Zukko grumbled and turned on his heel. "I'm going on a walk. A long one." He disappeared into the trees silently.

"What! I was going to do that! I thought of it first," Sokka yelled after him, receiving no reply but not really expecting one.

"Sokka, you've got a lot of work to do before I forgive you for losing a tent," Katara snorted.

The older, more experienced man sighed and looked up at the sky as the bickering continued.

"They're siblings, that's normal behavior for them," Aang told Iroh, noticing his unease.

"Ahh, I have a younger brother and he is very, uhh, unique himself…"

"Zuko's father?" Aang asked.

Iroh sighed again, hoping to let out more stress.

"Yes. It's my nephew's well-being that I am concerned about."

"I can see why," Aang stared at the trees.

Iroh turned and smiled at the child. "You must tell me where you acquired such an extraordinary beast!"

Aang grinned in return, patting Appa's side and preparing a long story in his head as Sokka yelled at him to help too. Katara smacked his arm.

"Even if you don't want to apologize to Zuko right now, at least show some respect for the rest of us, especially your elders." She was becoming an expert on rebutting her brother's weak complains.

"Since when am I apologizing to _him_? He started it," he grumbled, tying one corner of the tent to a stake. "And I'm older than you!"

"Well _Zuko_ is older than you," She made her finishing statement, going to help Aang carry supplies to their makeshift campsite for the approaching darkness.

Sokka had to admit that his sister was excellent at arguing, but he moaned, tormented, none the less.

* * *

He yelled again in rage, throwing a fiery punch at a nearby tree. He couldn't believe what his uncle had dragged him into. He dug his pink fingertips into his skull. And that boy, he was worse than the Avatar! Zuko did not want to spend another minute with any of the terrible threesome, especially Sokka. Even his name was agony to the ears. 

"Sokka," he tried the name on his lips. That was worse than imagining it! He'd have to pretend he didn't know the boy's name to aggravate him even more. Zuko was obviously the better fighter and probably better at everything else as well. He made it his goal to prove this to the moron.

* * *

"It's dark out. He better come back," Sokka poked a stick into the fire but dropped it in a huff, acting indifferent. 

Iroh smiled and closed his eyes. "He will be alright."

Aang nodded and watched the fire in amazement. It seemed tame coming from Iroh's aged hand.

"If he doesn't, I get his berries."

Katara scowled at her brother but decided to drop it. Instead she turned to Iroh and asked him to explain more about himself. Aang flew a few inches into the air and drifted back down onto his wooden seat.

"Yeah, tell me how you learned to fire bend so well! Uhh, if you wouldn't mind that is, sir."

Iroh chortled and decided it would be harmless enough to give them at least part of the story.

"I started training at a very young age, all fire benders do. Training is hard work that takes up many hours of your day and great discipline, though I still found myself with free time. Maybe because I skipped out of lessons so often… I still worked hard enough, but I feel that my brother surpassed me in bending. He was very dedicated and treated it far too seriously I'm afraid."

At this point he stopped and sighed. Aang stared in wonder at the man, imagining his life to be very difficult though interesting. Katara was leaning forward, on the edge of her seat but still perfectly arranged. Sokka was interested as well, though stared over Iroh's shoulder and into the darkness. It was Sokka who noticed the orange glow first.

"Finally!" Sokka yelled, standing up and ruining the mood. "What were you doing for so long? Trying to _cool off_?" Sokka snickered at his joke.

Zuko glared but marched forward with etiquette, throwing a large unknown animal onto Sokka. Sokka yelped and backed away from the long-dead creature.

"I brought dinner."

Katara oohed over the catch as Aang reached for Zuko's forgotten berries inconspicuously. Iroh smiled proudly.

"No offense young Sokka, but this is much better than berries," he laughed.

Zuko smirked at Sokka, feeling that it said more than words. So he was the better hunter as well.

_Well, I can't eat that anyway since I'm missing part of my tooth. Even if it does look delicious…

* * *

_

Sokka's stomach rumbled, but he hoped no one could hear it over the dying fire. His side was cramped and he held onto it tightly with his right hand. Zuko grinned to himself, very pleased. Katara yawned loudly, stretching.

"It's time for bed I think," she stated. "Who's going to sleep in the, now singular, tent?"

Iroh turned down the offer, claiming to enjoy the stars much more than the confining spaces of a tent. Zuko stared at nothing and any offer made by Sokka was ignored. Aang grinned sheepishly.

"I guess that leaves you and me Katara."

She smiled in return to his innocence, standing and walking towards the tent. Aang floated after her loyally.

Iroh stood slowly, his limbs creaking. He stretched with relief and scanned for a nice area to sleep. He "ahed!" and bid both his nephew and young Sokka a good night. He chose to lean against the big fluffy creature, Appa, and seemed to fall asleep instantly. The teenagers were left watching the ashes turn to black, waiting one another out.

Sokka cleared his throat, wondering if Zuko was still there, to interrupt the eerie silence.

"What?" He heard the darkness shuffle.

_Get this over with…_ "I, uhh, sorry I yelled at you earlier…"

Silence.

"Which time?" Came a scruffy reply.

_Do not punch him, Katara will kill you..._ He snorted. "You pick."

A boot stomped on the ashes as Zuko moved closer.

"I want more," he whispered, so close that Sokka fell over the back of the log. He could feel Zuko's heated breath, a familiar yet strange feeling that made him blush.

"What do you mean?" He barely managed to squeak out, his breathing quick and restless. He tried not to think about the scenario or possible outcomes, yet he found his mind drifting.

"I mean, I want more than just an apology." The voice was now coming into Sokka's other ear, which made him feel uncomfortable and defenseless. He gulped.

"Like what?" He squirmed without sitting back up.

He heard a maniacal laughter out of the night that erupted into his face.

"You're too easy," Zuko said, back in his seat. Sokka sat back up slowly and shuffled his feet nervously.

"You're odd," he told the ground.

Zuko chuckled. Apparently only the stupid could make him laugh. Sokka was a very entertaining play thing.

His laughter ceased as he sorted out his thoughts. _Play thing?_

"What?" Sokka asked quietly. Zuko swore he could hear concern in the fool's voice. He turned onto his side, facing away from Sokka. He crossed his arms, realizing for the first time how cold he was.

"Nothing. I'm going to sleep now. Don't make any noise."

When he woke up early the next morning, as he usually did, he found himself under what appeared to be the tarp for the tent. Sokka was asleep much closer to him than he thought. Too close.


	4. An Awkward Situation

Sorry for the lack of updates! I was in a rut with this story. I knew what I wanted to happen, but not how to tell it. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoy writing for the characters. (But so far, the third chapter is my favorite. This one is just randomly sexual, ha ha.) C: Thank you SO MUCH for 13 reviews! Wow. Along with two favs and eight alerts! Lots of love and hugs for everyone! C:

Also, please forgive me for some discrepancies in their clothes/weapons. I noticed that Sokka's armbands are the same material and color as his pants. Does that mean he's wearing a jumpsuit under his robe? Kind of like long underwear? Well, that's what I'm assuming. (Also, for lack of a better word, I'm going to refer to it as a "leotard" XDD Makes Sokka sound extremely girly.)

Avatar is © to Mike and Bryan, the mad geniuses.

* * *

To the amazement of Sokka, the Prince had fallen asleep before himself. Sokka _would_ have woken Zuko up so he could gloat but then that would be contradictory. And then Zuko would have a witty comeback to say before turning over and falling back asleep, leaving Sokka's pride damaged. 

Sokka would have slept too, but he was restless and fidgeting, still thinking about what the Prince had said to him. Surely Zuko just wanted Sokka to drop dead; isn't that what Sokka wanted? Zuko was now more of his enemy than he was Aang's. And he was an ass. Zuko was just messing with his mind; waiting for Sokka to crack.

Zuko shifted in his sleep. Sokka tried to ignore him, crossing his arms in defiance, but couldn't help himself. His desire was too great; he moved in for the kill.

Sokka tried to breathe silently, crouching over Zuko. It was difficult to keep his large mouth closed, to keep from yelling at Zuko to wake up. But Zuko also seemed very exposed when he slept; defenseless. Almost even _alluring_. The complete opposite of his personality. His eyes were closed tightly, as if he wanted to hide himself away from the world. He was dirty and scarred and even his rich clothes were starting the wear down. Leaning in close to Zuko, almost intimately, he seemed like a stranger.

_Heh, maybe he is human._

Sokka mentally slapped himself, moving away from the "Sleeping Beauty". He lay down on the other side of the fire pit; facing the tent. He could hear the other teenager breathing and that bothered him that he cared enough to listen for a pattern. He kept his eyes open, waiting for something horrible.

* * *

"Wake up halfwit," a boot-clad foot screamed into Sokka's side. 

"OOOWWW," he yelped, curling into a ball. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

"Get up, we're leaving."

"But we just got here." He closed his eyes again. _Was the sun up already?_

"No clown, you and me," a monotone voice replied coolly.

Sokka sat up, straining to keep his eyes open. It was still dark out; or what there was of the sun, Zuko's form was blocking.

"Huh?" It was too early for Sokka to have to defend himself from Zuko's mind games.

"We're going hunting. You have your friends to look after. Don't tell me you make your _sister_ hunt and cook the food."

Now that was a stab at Sokka, if anything. He stood up, at attention. He noticed that the tarp he'd placed on Zuko last night was back on the tent. Since Zuko didn't say anything about it, he didn't either.

"OF COURSE NOT. She cooks, I hunt." Sokka stated; just to make it clear to the ass that he wasn't completely useless.

"Okay, but stop shouting or you'll wake up everything." The fire-bender turned and left the camp site. Sokka gripped his dagger and ran after him, determined now more than before.

* * *

Sokka shifted and cleared his throat. 

"Um… Zuko?" He whispered.

Zuko ignored him, keeping his eyes on the prey.

Sokka pouted and moved his face closer to Zuko's.

"Zuko?" His voice cracked slightly.

The Fire-Bender grew warmer. No one _dared_ to get this close to him and live. In his current situation, however, Zuko had no other choice than to remain still.

"Shh."

"Zuko, I-I-" He fumbled.

"SHH," Zuko roared, causing the small animal in the clearing to dart away. Zuko jumped up.

"Look what you made me do! Come on, we can still catch it!"

Sokka looked guilty when Zuko stopped to scowl at him. The beast was long gone by now. Sokka meshed his fingers together.

"I think I'm stuck."

"What do you mean?" He asked in disbelief. Why couldn't Sokka just cooperate? Why did he have to be so aggravating?

"What do you think?" The Water Tribe boy asked sarcastically, motioning, to the best of his ability, that he was pinned between a tree and a branch.

Zuko clenched his fists and curled his toes. "Then cut yourself free."

Sokka bit his lip, not wanting to, but having to ask for help. It would be the ultimate admittance of defeat, but the idea of being trapped against a tree, without any food, wasn't a very pleasing one. Instead he swallowed his pride and exhaled.

"I can't reach my dagger. You'll have to," he slurred.

Zuko appeared more surprised than anything. He stood perfectly still with his hands at his side.

"What was that?"

Sokka lowered his head, blushing and mumbling. "You heard me."

Zuko grinned, re-assured that what he was hearing was the truth. He didn't even mind that his prey had escaped; Sokka was more entertaining, by far. He moved forward and leaned over Sokka, speculating, observing the situation. Sokka tried not to fidget, not that he had a choice.

"Alright," Zuko declared, crouching down to Sokka's level. He leaned forward, his fingers shaking. Sokka watched in fascination and fear.

_Ohh no, he's going to burn me to a crisp! He's going to burn a hole right through my stomach and I'll never be able to eat again! He's…_

"AHHR! WHAT'RE YOU DOING?"

Zuko pulled at the band on Sokka's waist, loosening his robe. He tried to ignore the idea that he was undressing the foolish boy. It was very difficult with Sokka screaming and spitting on his naked forehead.

"Quiet. Slide out of your shirt."

Both blushed at the awkwardness of it all, though Sokka complied. He pulled his arms out of his sleeves and was left in his leotard, curving his upper body towards Zuko's. Even through his armor, Zuko could feel the warmth. He stood up and took several steps backwards, facing another direction. Even though he had to rip his shirt to get it free, Sokka was just thankful he hadn't been teased. He stood as well and the two returned to the camp in silence.

* * *

"Sokka, where were you? What happened to your shirt?" 

He moaned in annoyance, not wanting to tell the true story. Zuko stood on the edge of the camp site, secluded, pondering and sending steam out of his nose. Aang was sitting around the fire pit, watching Iroh light a fire in it.

"Never mind. Could you just fix it for me? I'll go catch a few fish for breakfast," He replied, marching towards the shoreline wearily.

Katara moaned, very similar to her brother's, and made a face at Zuko. Zuko ignored her glare and stood in place. She marched towards where the supplies were being kept, in the tent.

"Ahh, teenagers," Iroh sighed.

Aang nodded in agreement and watched the sparks fly.


	5. A Blood Bath

Hello again. C: Sorry to take **so** long writing this chapter. I did write it twice already, but I trashed both of those. xP Otherwise, I really have no excuse for why this took so long. I'd really love to finish this before the new season, but… who knows. There's only one more chapter after this one, I'm sure of it.  
Anyway, I really appreciate all of the feedback I get. Thanks a lot y'all.

Avatar is © Bryan and Mike.

* * *

The smoke, from the fire, rose and disappeared in the sky. The tension, the silence and Zuko's numerous plans of escape followed suit. His fish was still looking at him; a staring contest Zuko couldn't win. He covered the fish's face with his boot.

"Thank you for breakfast, Sokka. The fish was delectable," Iroh grinned and leaned back noisily.

"Sure," he swallowed and continued gnawing on his fish's spine.

"I didn't know you could eat fish _raw_," Katara speculated.

Iroh continued to grin while his nephew's misery grew. Zuko wanted to scream, he wanted something gritty and raw. And he didn't mean sushi. He wanted out.

The fire began to diminish. All eyes were fixated on it. Momo dug the fish out from under Zuko's foot.

"Iroh?" Aang cleared his throat.

The log creaked and rolled backwards a bit as he sat up.

"Yes Aang?"

"Could you tell us some more stories about firebending?" Aang lowered his eyelids. Katara leaned in and Sokka slouched back.

"Prince Zuko, I have not told them anything about you, do not worry. I've just spoken about myself." Iroh said soothingly, noticing the look of horror on his nephew's face.

"Uncle, the Fire Nation is not meant for bed time stories!" The prince scorned, appearing more patriotic than he felt.

The familiar silence returned. Only Sokka, who could either be seen as brave or extremely stupid, dared to say:

"But it's not bed time. We just ate breakfast."

Zuko's skin boiled and steamed, clashing with the fire. He stood and marched away, steadily and angrily. Sokka stuck out his bottom lip, receiving looks of concern and annoyance; mostly from his sister. Even Momo had stopped chattering and picking at his fish.

"I… uhm… I'll go-"

Sokka tripped over himself, standing and sprinting after the trail of smoke.

"Be sure not to rip any more articles of clothing, Sokka!" Katara yelled after him. Sokka wasn't sure if she meant anything by it or not, but he blushed regardless.

"I worry about those two."

* * *

Darting around obstacles, he was reminded of the hunt. Hunting was a familiar feeling for the Prince; it was what his whole entity depended upon. Now that he was _camping_ with the Avatar, he felt a void in his life. He had no point to carry on like this. He was a traitor to his own nation. A corrupted, power hungry nation filled with murder. Zuko didn't want to be like that, he didn't want to be constantly on a rampage. He-

"I... huu… finally found you!"

The Prince turned his back to the moron, falling against a dark tree. He allowed his body to bend slightly.

"You were looking for me?" He growled.

Sokka bent over, clutching his knees and panting.

"Well, I followed you," he explained.

"Ohh, so you were _following_ me?" Zuko grunted.

Sokka bit his lip, unable to give a reason as to why he had followed the firebender into the wilderness. The way Zuko said it made Sokka seem mad.

"Your uncle is worried about you."

Zuko looked around his shoulder. The water tribe boy was staring at the ground, resting on it, with his forehead on his knee. He looked crippled, but his common sense told him that this was an opportune moment.

The fire skidded into the dirt and grass, a near miss of Sokka's foot. Zuko's aim was very good. Sokka yelped and jumped, defying gravity. Zuko chuckled.

"What's WRONG with you?" Sokka managed. "You try to kill me, now you're laughing! YOU'RE STILL LAUGHING! Hey, do you have a death wish or what?"

Zuko turned his head, smirking. "Is that a threat?"

Sokka moved closer. "Yes."

"You want revenge for your chipped tooth, ehh?"

Yes, he _did_ want revenge for his tooth! His mouth suddenly hurt, now that he was thinking about it again. But… if he did anything to Zuko, Katara would know. And then she would murder him, a death worse than anything Zuko could do to him.

Sokka looked at the ground again. "No. I don't think it's chipped, after all. It doesn't even hurt."

Zuko curled his lip. Sokka was a bad liar. Maybe he'd come to his senses that he'd never be able to beat Zuko in a fight. He vaguely recalled fighting Sokka, once before, and it had been no match, no competition. But that had been a long time ago.

"AHH! Would you STOP throwing fire at me!"

"Come on, let's battle," Zuko stated. He had never considered battling as fun before. But now that he didn't need to fight to survive, he felt he had to latch on to his fighting skills, his one skill.

"Wha… Why?" Sokka stood on his toes, prepared to dodge another fireball.

"I want to see what you're made of. Sokka."

Sokka threw his shoulders back. Had Zuko just called him by his name? Not "moron" or "peasant", but… Sokka? It was strange and embarrassing to hear his name in that tone. It was similar to the way Yue had said his name. It made his stomach churn.

"Fine." He grabbed his boomerang.

* * *

"So, there I was, surrounded."

"Surrounded by how many?"

"At least ten. I was armed with only my fists. They had weapons of all sorts; daggers, swords-"

"Did you win?"

"Of course he won, Aang."

"That's right Katara."

"Wow. You must be a powerful bender."

"Ohh, Aang, don't say that..."

* * *

Sokka fell, smelling the dirt. He turned his face, breathing and licking the mud off of his lips. It tasted salty. It tasted like blood. He saw red and whipped his boomerang backwards. He heard a groan and jumped to his feet. Zuko was blocking his face; the boomerang was on a path back to its owner. Sokka caught his weapon of choice and launched it at Zuko's knee. His leg gave out from under him and Zuko found himself kissing the ground as well. Sokka leaped onto Zuko's back, grinning.

"I win."

Zuko lifted himself, arching his back. Sokka grew wide eyed and grabbed onto Zuko's hair, hoping to stay on his back. Zuko sneered; having his hair pulled was an unusual and uncomforting feeling. He reached his fist back and pushed Sokka off of him. He turned on his side, far too tired to deal with another attack. Sokka, on the other hand, was now standing. He still appeared ready for a fight, energetic. He was silhouetted by the shadows of the trees.

"I win," he repeated, loudly.

Zuko sighed and stood up, flicking a spark at Sokka's ear.

* * *

"I'm getting worried, Katara."

She sighed and dropped the newly acquired firewood.

"I know." She turned in her brow and smiled at Aang. "Sokka would never allow himself to miss lunch."

"Who's up for a game?" Iroh boomed, grabbing his stomach. Katara and Aang looked at each other, wrinkling their noses and eyebrows.

"Uhm, sir, don't you wonder what's happened to Zuko and Sokka?"

Iroh looked around the campsite. "Yes, but I think we should leave them be. Let them sort out their differences, so to speak."

Aang frowned but Katara shrugged as Iroh began to chuckle.

* * *

Sokka collapsed, letting his body fall onto the ground next to Zuko's. Standing was too tiring for him.

"Zuko, how are we going to get back to camp?" He asked, his voice sounding dry and quiet.

"We won't be able to Sokka. It'll be night soon. We'll have to sleep here."

Zuko turned his head, facing Sokka. Sokka had removed his shirt and was in only his leotard again. He was covered in blood and panting. His body looked exhausted, small and unusual. Zuko coughed and the younger boy lifted his head to look at him.

"You… you're a better fighter," Zuko mumbled.

Sokka's mouth was open and his tongue started to sweat with the rest of his body.

"Really? You think I'm a good fighter?" He leaned towards the prince. He was dizzy, but he was sure his hearing was intact.

"No. Just better," Zuko spat blood, mixing with the blood on Sokka's face.

Sokka smiled. There was a neutral respect between them now, which was strange considering they'd just beaten one another to the point of no return.

* * *

"No, we should stay here. I'm sure they've already found a place to sleep for the night."

"But- but it's not safe out there," Katara bit her lip.

Iroh smiled and patted her shoulder. "Do not worry, they will take care of one another. Aang is asleep already and you look tired as well."

Katara yawned, covering her mouth in an attempt to disguise it. How Iroh thought that Sokka and Zuko would ever get along was beyond her. She thought he was a bit mad anyway, after spending the day playing unknown card games with him.

* * *

Zuko awoke to the sounds of the night; woodland creatures howling, the trees swaying, Sokka rustling. He was sweating, still, and his clothes felt tight and wet against his skin. Despite this, he couldn't stop himself from shivering. He breathed loudly and began to regret challenging Sokka.

He sat up, slowly, holding himself up. His head throbbed as he tried to regain his eyesight. He began stripping himself of his armor. He'd slept in it the night before and had awoken with a great ache in his back. Free of his confining battle armor, he breathed easier. He sat against the tree he had been sleeping against. He licked his dry lips with his dry tongue, looking over at the Water tribe boy. He seemed to stir and the grass moved. Zuko heard a gasp.

"What?" He closed his eyes, feeling disoriented.

"You… the moon is shining right on you," Sokka whispered.

He opened one eye. "It's dark everywhere. You're seeing things."

Sokka sat up, appearing far too energetic. He crawled towards his sparring partner. Zuko opened both eyes and held his breath. Sokka was starring at him, inspecting his face. Zuko looked ahead, concentrated, and didn't blink.

Sokka bit his lips, which became re-coated in fresh blood. He forces his eyes shut and stuck his neck out, tilting his chin upwards.

Zuko let his breath out and, upon drawing it back in, tasted blood.


End file.
